Have you signed up yet?

Have you visited our main website and signed up to our newsletter yet?

In return you will receive a free copy of our eGuide 'Lean for Practitioners' which whilst focused on the Healthcare sector has much broader applicability.

Also, you will shortly receive our new free eGuide 'Sustaining Lean Healthcare Programmes' which is due for release in November.

Lastly, you might want to visit our Lean Healthcare Blog which has some useful hints and tips to help your Lean programme go further and faster - it is also where the really interesting stuff will be posted from now on.........see you there soon!

Lean Healthcare

Just a short announcement to say that you will also be able to find out about our thoughts on Lean in Healthcare at our Lean Healthcare Blogsite.

Why haven't you already got it?

You might be living proof that not everyone has read our FREE eBook (Lean for Practitioners) which was described as 'Inspiring' by one reader and 'Excellent and Really, Really Useful' by another.

To obtain your free visit our WEBSITE and join our Newsletter Network when you will be sent a link to enable you to download our free gift to you!

Rapid Improvement Event?

Over the last few weeks I have received a number of enquiries about doing 'Rapid Improvement Events'.

The way it normally goes is that I get an email which reads;

"I would like to discuss you coming to do a Rapid Improvement Event on the X, Y & Z of Month X"

Now, I am a fan of Rapid Improvement Events - but as part of an improvement process not as the 'be all and end all' of the improvement process. Where does training, scoping, communicating and process redesign come into the equation? At the very least there will be a heap of questions that need to be answered prior to the actual event - but that assumes that a Rapid Improvement Event is the most appropriate mechanism for improvement - what about Continuous Improvement Teams (improvement spread out over a longer period), Project Teams (high level improvement teams focused on strategic issues such as changing IT systems) etc?

I can theorise what is causing this confusion in the marketplace and hope that the message goes out more effectively in the future.

To find out more about my views about where a Rapid Improvement Events fits into the improvement process visit the Amnis website and join our newsletter network to receive a free copy of our eBook 'Lean for Practitioners'.

Lean Panacea?

Do you believe Lean is a panacea?

I was in a presentation this week and it was clear that people in the audience felt that 'Lean' was the answer to all their problems. They had all tried things before but this time 'Lean' was going to make the difference.

So what is Lean - is it some form of magical power that transforms unsuccessful organisations into successful ones or a genie in a bottle which (when released) can make improvement programmes go further and faster than ever before?

Of course it isn't.

Lean has the power to do good if done well and the power to do great harm if not.

For many people who think their previous improvement attempts have not worked is because they either have been sold a Turkey (by a consultant who has read a book on XYZ Methodology) or they have not prepared their organisation effectively for the change or supported it after the change.

Will 'Lean' stop these problems? Is it possible that many of the people who claim to be 'Lean Experts' have just read a book or that many of the organisations engaged in Lean will not prepare their organisation and/or support it?

What do you think?

Philosophies, Processes & Tools

I was discussing different approaches to improvement with a friend this week who is very keen on 'NLP' and he took the stance that 'Lean' was just a 'tool' for improvement.

Sadly, this is the perception of many who do not know the detail of how to make organisations better or only understand 'their' way (whether that is Six Sigma, Lean, NLP etc etc)

I would identify three levels of activity to be undertaken:

• Philosophy - what is the strategic approach that best suits your need
• Processes - what are the different ways that you might use to implement your philosophy
• Tools - what techniques or management tools might you use to support your processes

Taking a comparison of Six Sigma, Lean (and because it was raised NLP) at these three levels I propose the following:

Lean
- Philosophy - the elimination of 'waste' and creation of value, flow and pull
- Processes - Value Stream Mapping, Rapid Improvement Events etc
- Tools - 5S, SMED, TPM etc

Six Sigma
- Philosophy - the elimination of variation in process and through this consistency
- Processes - DMAIC, Process Analysis, Focused Improvement Teams etc
- Tools - SPC, TPM, SMED, DoE etc

NLP
- Philosophy - improving relationships between individuals and getting 'more done'
- Processes - coaching sessions, group facilitation etc
- Tools - Swish, Goal Setting, etc etc

Now, if you just assume that 'Lean' is a tool, which of the hundreds of improvement tools is it?

What do you think?

Why not join me on the journey?

This simple post is a copy of the newsletter contents for August 2007. I invite you to join our network by emailing Nicky English (nickyenglish(a)amnis-uk.com). At the very least, this edition (like every one) contains some links to useful download material - so please feel free to download and enjoy!

What can you learn from other sectors?
Working with a wide range of organisations from the private and public sector we see different sectors encountering the same problems occurring and find that solutions from one sector can easily be applied to others.

For example, dealing with capacity issues in a customer service call centre for a manufacturing business is broadly the same as improving the capacity of a call centre in a healthcare organisation.

Apart from differences in terminology, technologies and some special circumstances (political environment, trade barriers, regulations etc), organisations can learn a lot about how they improve their own organisation by not only looking at best practice in their own sector but in other sectors too.

What do you think? Send us your thoughts to info(a)amnis-uk.com.

Lean Healthcare Conference – 28th September 2007
Amnis’s Mark Eaton will be speaking at the Lean Healthcare Conference on the 28th September 2007 on how to turn your Lean change programme into long-term improvements in behaviours and patient safety. To find out more about the conference click here http://www.lean-thinking-healthcare.co.uk/.

We are also speaking at the Institute for Risk Management’s ‘Risk Forum’ on how to integrate Lean with patient safety on the 13th September 2007 and you can find out more here http://www.theirm.org/riskforum.

If you are unable to attend either of these two events, you will be able to meet Mark and other members of the Amnis Team at our forthcoming events which are listed here http://www.amnis-uk.com/events.htm.

Regular Download Slot
Every month we offer you the opportunity download interesting guides, materials and presentations to help you get the most out of your improvement programmes. This month’s selection includes:

§ eBook (Worth £20) Lean for Practitioners – http://www.downloads.amnis-uk.com/LfP.pdf
§ Embedding Lean Article – http://www.downloads.amnis-uk.com/EL.pdf

For a full list of downloads or to ask a question about how to get the most out of your improvement programme, please send an email to Ruth Bodman at ruthbodman(a)amnis-uk.com or ring her on 0870-446-1002.

Developing Knowledge, Transforming Performance
We would be delighted to welcome you to one of our popular development workshops in September which will include:

Sustaining Lean (London) – 6th September 2007
Many improvement programmes fail to deliver the long-term benefits organisations want. This workshop focuses on how to effectively recover from a stalled programme and prevent future programmes for suffering the same fate. To find out more click here:
http://www.amnis-uk.com/workshops/Sustaining_Lean_IW.htm

Value Stream Analysis (London) – 11th September 2007
Value Stream Analysis is a practical tool used to map pathways from end to end. This practical workshop will involve participants in learning the practical skills to enable them to map and improve their own pathways. To find out more click here:
http://www.amnis-uk.com/workshops/Value_Stream_Analysis_IW.htm

Delivery Value through Effective Risk Management 17th & 25th September 2007
This workshop, which is delivered in partnership with our strategic partners at the Institute for Operations Management (www.iomnet.org.uk) and Det Norske Veritas (www.dnv.com) focuses on how to reduce risks and simultaneously improve performance using an integrated approach to improvement. To find out more click here:

17th September 2007 (Coventry)
http://www.amnis-uk.com/workshops/Institute_of_Operations_Management_Workshops_in_Coventry.htm

25th September 2007 (London)
http://www.amnis-uk.com/workshops/DVtERM_IW.htm

Leading Lean Improvements – 20th September 2007
This exciting workshop focuses on helping organisations to create the right leadership environment for improvement programmes to succeed. To find out more click here:
http://www.amnis-uk.com/workshops/Leading_Lean_Improvements_IW.htm

To book an on-site workshop or attend one of our open workshops contact Ruth Bodman at ruthbodman(a)amnis-uk.com.

Leading from the Middle
Every edition we offer a ‘30 Second’ Management Tip on how to get the most from your people, processes and organisation.

Is it possible to lead your improvement programme from the middle? Can an organisation without a board level champion and board based support hope to achieve success?

The simple answer is that without top level management support for your programme it is very difficult for middle managers to engage anyone outside of their own area of influence. However, this simplifies the important role that middle managers can play in influencing and inspiring senior managers to engage in the improvement process.

Looking at this problem from a different dimension such as an improvement programme covering an entire pathway that spans two or more organisations, even the CEO of one organisation is leading from a position of parity at best, and sometimes from a position of weakness.

In both these scenarios the only way to achieve success is through building relationships, creating energy around the need to change and trying to find common ground with peers and those above and it is a fact of life that having high levels of ‘Emotional Intelligence’ will make this process a whole lot easier!

To download a free Emotional Intelligence inventory click here http://www.downloads.amnis-uk.com/EI.pdf.

If you would like to know about Emotional Intelligence and how it can help you get more from your team and help you to work better with your management please drop an email to us at info(a)amnis-uk.com.